There are a number of traditional Christmas or winter holiday drinks, but in recent years people have gotten very creative. Some people have created Christmas-themed cocktails from scratch, while others have added Christmas twists to existing cocktail recipes. This is a collection of… well, whatever struck my fancy as a winter holiday cocktail.
- Eggnog is a tradition for a reason. It tastes great with or without alcohol, which makes it perfect for gatherings that include drinkers and non-drinkers.
- Hot Buttered Rum is a classic, cuddly sort of drink – perfect for small parties and parties of two.
- Mulled Wine is a wintertime classic – red wine with sugar and all sorts of spices.
- The Peppermint Stick uses white creme de cacao and peppermint schnapps to get a mint chocolate flavor. Easy to serve one by one or in premixed pitchers.
- The Christmas Cookie blends the commonly paired Kahlua and Bailey’s with an unexpected shot of peppermint schnapps.
- Had enough of the holidays already? Have a Grinch and feel better.
- The Santa Shot layers peppermint schnapps, grenadine and green creme de menthe for a beautiful little shot of Christmas spirit.
- The Chocolate Raspberry Martini is just what it sounds like. Oh, yes, it is.
- The Red Hot Santa Tini uses chili-pepper infused vodka and a rim that’s cocoa powder mixed with cayenne. Not your typical Christmas fare.
- Tired of being a grown up? Get a Snowball down you. A blended, creamy drink featuring tequila and cinnamon.
- The Poinsettia is very simple: champagne, Cointreau and cranberry juice.
- The Candy Cane blends peppermint schnapps with berry vodka and creme de cacao to make a drink that truly passes for dessert.
Bonus: It’s not exactly “cocktails” and certainly not traditional, but you can makeSkittles Vodka in red and green in presentation flasks – or Vodka Gummi Bears in red and green.